Huieyen-Khenjonglang campaign on RTE Act
No future for kids in Govt schools : Parents
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, February 18 2012: "I was worried that the future of my two children would be in jeopardy, so I took them out from the government school in my village and admitted them in a private school", said a mother.

Participating in the discussion session facilitated as part of the public awareness campaign on 'The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009' at Keirao Langdum Mayai Leikai under Imphal East district, the mother went on ''I know, sending my children to private school would be expensive and it would be an added financial burden in the family.

But I have no choice as the government school in our village has not been functioning properly for the last many years'' .

Another mother added, "On radio, we keep hearing that no admission fee is supposed to be taken from the students and text books, school uniform, bags, etc, are to be provided.

But the reality is quite different.

Admission fee had been charged and receipt had been issued.

All the required text books have not been given and the school uniform provided was too small for my son.

It is lying in the almirah.

What is the point of giving such school uniforms if it is not going to serve any purpose?" .

A spot inspection visit to the government high school in Keirao Langdum Mayai Leikai revealed that though the condition of the school building is comparatively better than most other government schools, the number of students enrolled in it has been declining over the years.

One local resident informed that at one time, it was considered to be one of the best schools in the whole neighbourhood.

But today, most parents hesitated from sending their children to the school.

"When the basic infrastructures required for a school are missing and the teachers come to school drunk, which parents would like to send their children to that school?", the local resident countered.

With regard to implementation of Mid-Day Meal Scheme, which has been launched with a view to enhancing enrollment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children, a woman, who had earlier worked as a cook in the said school, recalled that apart from not serving the meals regularly, the quality of rice and other food items provided for cooking was so sub-standard that she always wondered how such meals would help in improving the health of the students.

The concern of the local people, particularly the parents, towards educating their children in the existing government school in Elangkhangpokpi under Thoubal district is no different from those heard in Keirao Langdum.

"Why would have we send our children to private schools spending huge amount of money if the government school in our village is doing well?", a woman, who participated in a similar discussion at Elangkhangpokpi questioned, when asked about the reason for taking out her son from the government school in the village.

"While my son was studying in the government high school in our village, he didn't even know how to write or read his lesson.

But after admitting to a private school, his grade improved and he is presently preparing for the Board exam.

I don't think he would have come so far, if he'd continued to study in the government school", the woman observed.

"Sending my son to a private school does not mean that I enough money.

I have to toil daily and sell vegetables in the market.

But I am happy that the future of my son is now secured", she added.

The public awareness campaign was an endeavour to sensitize the people on the provisions of The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 which makes free and compulsory education up to the elementary level a fundamental right for all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years.

It was also an effort to understand how far the provisions of the Act have been actually implemented in schools under the government of Manipur.

The campaign has been initiated by Theatre in Education Unit for Children, Khenjonglang with Hueiyen Lanpao daily as media partner under the guidelines of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) .

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